Reflecting device for show-windows.



D. A. MILNB.

REFLEOTING DEVICE FOR SHOW WINDOWS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.10,1913.

Patented June 9, 1914. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR ATTORN EYS ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo c.

D. A. MILNB.

REFLBGTING DEVICE FOR SHOW WINDOWS.

Patented June 9, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IO| I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10,1913.

WlTN INVENTOR I DBI E1HPL.M11I E Jilin BY gd MflRQ/ewm ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON, D. E.

DONALD A. MILNE,

or NEW YORK, 1v. Y.

REFLECTING DEVICE FOR SHOW-WINDOWS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Application filed March 1c, 1913. Serial No. 753,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD A. MILNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reflecting Devices for Show-Windows; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in light-reflectors; and, the present invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel reflecting device for show-windows, and which is more especially adapted to the street-windows of stores.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a novel and simple ar rangement of a series of reflectors or reflecting surfaces to be used in connection with the show-windows of stores, and the like, with a view of eliminating the reflection usually present in show-windows, so as to give a clearer view of the interior of the show-window, and that the goods displayed behind the window are shown off to their best advantage, all of which is accomplished b reversing the usual light-conditions behlnd the window, and making the light stronger upon the inside than upon the outside of the window.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the present invention.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the said invention consists, primarily, in the novel reflecting device for show-windows hereinafter set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claims which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the showwindows of a store, and of a light-reflecting device applied thereto, and made according to and embodying the principles of the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional representation of the showwindow .and reflecting device, said view, however, being made on a larger scale.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates the usual show-windows of a store, to which are applied a series of reflectors or reflecting surfaces 2 and 3, and an awning or other opaque member or element 4.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the reflector or reflecting surface 2, which may be of anysuitable construction, extends outwardly and upwardly at an angle from the upper portion of the show-window, the reflector or reflecting surface 2 being also preferably angularly adjustable in front of the window, so that the angle of reflection may be changed, whenever found necessary. In order to accomplish this angular adjustment of the reflector or reflecting surface 2, the framework 5, or other suitable part, of the reflector is provided with a pintle-rod 6, the end-portions of which form journals which are rotatably arranged in suitably placed bearing-members 7 substantially in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Suitably attached to the said framework 5, by means of an eye 8, or in any gother suitable manner, is the one end of a flexible connection 9, said connection passing through an opening 10 in the window-frame, and across the upper portion of the interior of the show-window, the other end-portion of the flexible connection being attached to and being adapted to be wound upon .a reel or wheel, as 11, which is rotatably mounted upon a bearing-member 12. The reel or wheel 11 may be made to revolve in either direction by means of suitable bevel-gears 13, and a vertical rod 14 which may be 0perated by means of a suitable key, as will be clearly evident. Other means may be used,

however, for revolving the said reel or wheel 11.

The other reflector or reflecting surface 3, Which may be of any suitable construction, is suitably secured in the roof of the window-box, and is also angularly arranged, so as to properly deflect the light-rays which have been reflected thereon from the reflector 2 in a downward direction in the interior of the window-box.

The herein-before mentioned opaque body 4: may be of the usual awning-construction and it is placed beneath the outside reflector or reflecting surface 2, to obscure the direct light-rays reaching the outside surface of the window glass 15. The awning is adapted to be rolled upon a roller 16 rotatably mounted in suitable bracket-members, as 17, the roller 16 being adapted to be operated by means of the usual key-actuated vertical rod 18 and the bevel-gear mechanism 19. Other means for operating the awning may however, be used, if desired.

Having in the foregoing described one manner of arranging the series of reflectors and the awning, I will now briefly set forth the manner of the operation of the device.

Daylight from the sky reaches the reflector 2 and is reflected upon the reflector 3 within the window-box, which in turn reflects the light downwardly throughout the interior of the show-window, thereby fully illuminating the displayed merchandise, and the. usual light-conditions being reversed, the light upon the inside of the window is made stronger than the light upon the outside of the window. It will also be evident, that by the hereinabove described reflecting means, and the means for preventing the direct light-rays from reaching the outside surface of the window-glass, the reflection is fully eliminated, and the displayed merchandise is made more plainly visible from the street. In other words, the direct function of the device is the increase of light inside of the window and the partial exclusion of light from the outside of the window.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the said parts, without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification and as defined in the clauses of the claims which are appended thereto. Hence, I do not limit my present invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. In a reflecting device of the character specified, the combination with a showwindow, of a reflecting surface mounted upon the outside of the window and a reflecting surface mounted within the inside of the show-window, adapted to receive the reflected light-rays from said outside reflecting surface and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the show-window.

2. In a reflecting device of the character specified, the combination with a show-window, of a reflecting surface mounted upon the outside of the window, a reflecting surface mounted within the inside of the showwindow, adapted to receive the reflected light rays from said outside reflecting surface and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the show-window, and an opaque element arranged upon the outside of the showwindow for decreasing the light effect upon the surface of the show-window.

8. In a reflecting device of the character specified, the combination with a show-window, of a reflecting surface mounted upon the outside of the window, a reflecting surface mounted within the inside of the showwindow, adapted to receive the reflected light-rays from said outside reflecting surface and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the show-window, and an awning arranged upon the outside of the show-window at a point beneath the reflecting surface mounted upon the outside of the show-window for decreasing the light effect upon the surface of the show-window.

4. In a reflecting device of the character specified, the combination with a show-window, of an angularly mounted and angularly adjustable reflecting surface upon the outside of the show-window, and an angularly arranged reflecting surface mounted within the inside of the show window, adapted to receive the reflected light-rays from said outside reflecting surface and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the show-window.

5. In a reflecting device of the character specified, the combination with a show-window, of an angularly mounted and angularly adjustable reflecting surface upon the outside of the show-window, an angularly arranged reflecting surface mounted within the inside of the show-window, adapted to receive the reflected light-rays from said outside reflecting surface and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the showwindow, and an opaque element arranged upon the outside of the show-window for decreasing the light effect upon the surface of the show-window.

6. In a reflecting device of the character specified, the combination with a show-window, of an angularly mounted and angularly adjustable reflecting surface upon the outside of the showwindow, an angularly arranged reflecting surface mounted within the inside of the show-Window, adapted to receive the reflected light-rays from said outside reflecting surface and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the show-window, and an awning arranged upon the outside of the show-window at a point beneath the reflecting surface mounted upon the outside of the show-window for decreasing the light eflect upon the surface of the show window.

7 In a reflecting device of the character specified, the combination with a show-window, of an angularly hinged reflecting sur face upon the outside of the show-window, a flexible connection attached to said reflecting surface, said flexible connection extending into the interior of the show-window, means located within said show-window upon which said flexible connection is adapted to be reeled, and a reflecting surface within the inside of the show-window, adapted to receive the reflected light-rays from said outside reflecting surface and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the show-window.

8. In a reflecting device of the character specified, the combination with a show-window, of an angularly hinged reflecting surface upon the outside of the show-window,

a flexible connection attached to said reflecting surface, said flexible connection extending into the interior of the show-window, means located within said show-window upon which said flexible connection is adapted to be reeled, a reflecting surface within the inside of the show -window, adapted to receive the reflected lightrays from said outside reflecting surface and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the show-window, and an opaque element arranged upon the outside of the show-window for decreasing the light eflect upon the surface of the show-window.

9. In a reflecting device of the character specified, the combination with a show-window, of an angularly hinged reflecting surface upon the outside of the show-window, a flexible connection attached to said reflect ing surface, said flexible connection extending into the interior of the show-window, means located within said show-window upon which said flexible connection is adapted to be reeled, a reflecting surface within the inside of the show window, adapted to receive the reflected light-rays from said outside reflecting surface and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the show-window, and an awning arranged upon the outside of the show-window at a point beneath the reflecting surface mounted upon the outside of the show-window for decreasing the light effect upon the surface of the show-window;

10. In a device of the character specified, the combination with a show-window, of a series of reflecting surfaces, one of said reflecting surfaces deflecting the received light-rays upon another of said reflecting surfaces and deflecting said light-rays downwardly within the show-window, and an opaque surface for decreasing the light effect upon the surface of the show-window.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of December, 1912.

DONALD A. MILNE.

WVitnesses:

FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, FREDK H. W. FRAENTZEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

